When Patti's owners died the new family that moved into her former home simply abandoned her. She became a stray & her only shelter was a big old tree in the gardens beneath a block of flats next to her old home.
Two old ladies living in the flats, unbeknown to each other, fed Patti every day. Each had asked the warden if they could bring her inside but they were both told that the flats operated a strict no pets policy. They became Patti's only friends in the world & bought her mincemeat and many other tasty morsels, without which Patti would have surely starved.
One day the bulldozers came to flatten the land where Patti's tree was. She fled for her life and tried to escape through the chainlink fence bordering the garden but because her fur was so matted it got caught & she was very badly injured as she fought to get free. At around the same time, one of the ladies had to go into hospital for a major operation. Her daughter came down to visit her & she insisted that someone must check on 'Fluff' (as she had named her). The daughter searched for 'Fluff' for days & when she eventually found her she was so appalled at the state 'Fluff' was in that she immediately called around various cat organisations for help & SHUA responded. We took Patti in on Good Friday 2002.
Patti was in such a bad way that the vets insisted that she be monitored for 48 hours before they could operate. A lot of her fur had literally been ripped out when she fled under the fence & the fur that remained was so badly matted that she had to be shaved everywhere except a small patch on the top of her head. Her claws had grown right round in a circle which must have been excruciating for her to walk on. She had no teeth & her tongue was damaged due to having to scavenge old tin cans in dustbins for so long.
It took months for Patti to recover and for her fur to grow back.
The daughter visited Patti at SHUA on her Mum's behalf immediately after Patti's operation but the lady could not come herself because she was housebound. The other lady had no means of transport but was able to visit Patti when her daughter visited her at Christmas. We took Patti to see the housebound lady a few months ago.
Both reunions were very emotional for the ladies & it was fantastic for them to see Patti looking so healthy & happy.
Patti found the visit to the flats very emotional as well. She jumped up on the windowsill & looked outside. You could see the recognition in her face (& the flicking of her tail) as she looked over at where her old home was and then at where her tree had been.
08/08/06: sadly, we learned today that one of Patti's former carers has passed away.
Patti lived happily at SHUA where, understandably, she never expressed any interest in going outside, for nearly 6 years. She died in Jacqui's arms at 8.40am on Saturday 26th January 2008. She just couldn't make her Easter anniversary. Rest in Peace Patti.
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